


Bullseye

by Seraph_Novak



Series: Destiel One-Shots [23]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adoption, Anniversary, Boyfriends, Canon Compliant, Cute Castiel, Dean Hates Dogs, Dogs, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Fluffyfest, Human Castiel, M/M, One Shot, POV Dean Winchester, Post-Season/Series 12, Presents, Rescue Centre, Sappy, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 05:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11639952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seraph_Novak/pseuds/Seraph_Novak
Summary: Dean promised Cas that he could have anything for their first year anniversary... If only he'd known that Cas would ask for a frickingdog.





	Bullseye

**Author's Note:**

> Dogs + Destiel = ♥
> 
> All comments and kudos are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Dean said, staring grimly at the sign above the rescue centre in front of them. He wrinkled his nose at the sharp smell of wet fur and urine hanging in the air, and shot Cas a glare. "I mean, come on, man… You really want a stinking _dog_ for your anniversary present?"

Cas linked his arm through Dean's and lifted an eyebrow. "You _did_ say I could have whatever I wanted, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but only 'cause your dick was in my ass at the time."

"You shouldn't let lust cloud your judgement," Cas said with a smug little smile that only made him look hotter. "I believe adopting a dog falls into the category of 'whatever I want', does it not?"

Dean grumbled. "Yeah, yeah… Smartass."

"I agreed to the compromise of not getting a cat, due to your allergies, but this is truly what I want more than anything. You know I've been wanting a companion ever since you started hunting again."

Dean wanted to argue, but Cas was giving him the sad, puppy dog eyes he'd learnt from Sam, and that was the real clincher. He'd reluctantly agreed to return to hunting after looking after Cas for a few months, and now Cas spent most of the time alone in the bunker, dealing with the research side of things and helping where he could. They'd tried taking him on a couple of hunts, but the poor guy just didn't have what it takes without his powers. When Dean had suggested he stick to the books and phone calls, Cas had looked so disheartened, even if it _was_ for the best. Now all he wanted was a stupid dog to keep him company while they were away, and Dean couldn't even give him _that_? What kind of crappy boyfriend _was_ he?

"Alright," he pulled Cas closer against his chest. "No need for the guilt trip. Let's go have a look at these fleabags…"

The girl at the desk was roughly the same age as Claire, only she was chirpy and sweet. Her nametag said 'Kirsty' (her friends called her 'K') and she spoke in a voice that was constantly changing its pitch and volume, like a rollercoaster going up and down, up and down… But she was a good kid, and Dean liked her.

"What kind of dog are you looking for?" she asked as Dean flicked through a shiny brochure with puppies playing on the cover.

Cas shrugged. "I'm indifferent to age or breed… Though a puppy might be too much to handle, considering I've never owned a dog before. I work from home, and I'd like a companion while my family is away on business."

"Preferably one that's not gonna chew or poop where it's not supposed to," Dean added, thinking about all the precious artefacts and lore books they had back at the bunker.

Kirsty smiled. "Don't worry. A lot of our dogs are over the age of two, so most of them are pretty well housetrained."

She gave them a list of suitable dogs, then pointed them in the direction of the kennels. It kind of felt like going into one of those bat caves at the zoo, with the plastic curtains covering the doorway. Cas threaded their fingers together and gave him a smile, the gummy kind of smile that never failed to make his knees feel weak. It was the surest way to turn him into a gooey, pliable mess, and Cas _knew_ it.

"You can help me choose?" he phrased it like a question, as if he wasn't sure whether or not it would make Dean more open to the idea or not. It didn't, but he still appreciated the sentiment.

"Nah," he kissed the side of Cas' head. "This is your present. You get to pick."

"But you're going to have to live with this dog as well."

"Yeah, but you're looking after it."

Cas pouted. "Don't you want to be involved at _all_?"

"I'm not a pet kinda guy, Cas."

"But this may be the closest thing we ever get to having a child!"

Dean snorted. "Seriously? You're gonna compare a drooling mutt to a kid?"

"Watch your language around the dogs."

"They can't understand me."

"They're wiser than you think," Cas gave him a sexy but stern teacher kind of look. "Dogs can detect the pitch in your voice; they know when you're being kind or cruel."

"Well, I'll just insult them in a happy kinda voice then."

"Would you insult a deaf person in the same room as you, just because they can't understand what you're saying?"

Dean scratched his chin. He kind of had a point.

"Alright, alright," he rolled his eyes. "Way to make me feel bad." 

"You should. Dogs are wonderful creatures."

"Uh huh."

"Look at this one," Cas waved at one of the cages on their right. "It says here that he's completely blind in one eye, and losing his sight in the other, and yet he's playing with the other dogs as if he's no different to them."

Dean watched the dog - Bullseye, according to the sign - as he leapt on a larger, healthier-looking dog in the same cage. He was smallish, with white and grey fur that darkened at his feet and at the tip of his tail. When he turned to jump at the bars, where Cas was crouched down, he  noticed the one creamy-coloured eye staring back at him. For some reason, that made his heart sink a little in his chest.

"We can't have a blind dog, Cas. That's too much responsibility."

"I know," he sighed. "I just wish I could rehome all of them. It's such a drab existence, living in a cage. Especially for a creature with such energy."

Dean squeezed his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up, man. You can't save all of them."

"I can still leave them a generous donation though."

"Yeah," he smiled, struck once again by how awesome and kind his boyfriend really was. "Maybe we should keep looking. Don't wanna get yourself attached, do ya?"

Cas curled his fingers around the bars. The dog was sticking his nose through, his little pink tongue gently licking Cas' hand. There was a softness to Cas' expression that Dean rarely saw nowadays, the kind of softness reserved for when Jody brought the girls around to visit, or when Dean said or did something uncharacteristically romantic. He looked honest to God  _peaceful_ , which was a pretty big deal in their family. Dean hated the way that rare glimmer of happiness disappeared the moment he stood up.

"You're right," he mumbled. "Let's move on."

They spent the next half an hour checking out the rest of the dogs. Most of them were pretty old, and a little rough around the edges, but Cas didn't seem to care. Every time they came across a new cage, Cas would crouch down and strike up a conversation with the dogs inside. They were one-sided conversations, of course, but he was having such a good time that Dean didn't have the heart to drag him away. It was actually kind of cute, watching a guy that used to be an almighty celestial being talking to a bunch of stray dogs like they were people. Cas didn't even use that sickly baby voice that everyone uses when they're talking to dogs. It used to drive him crazy when Sam was a kid; every time they passed a dog in the street, he'd stop to pet them and tell them how cute they were in this stupid voice that made him want to tear his hair out. He was so glad he wouldn't have to put up with that crap from Cas.

"Seen any you like?" he asked as they reached the end of the room.

Cas shrugged. There was a sadness in his eyes that broke his heart; if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was seeing Cas miserable, especially after all the crap he'd been through recently. 

"Hey, c'mon, man. I thought you wanted a dog?"  

"I do," Cas shrugged again. "But perhaps we should come back another time… I'll still make a donation, but I'm not really in the mood right now."

Before he could walk away, Dean grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. Cas wouldn't look him in the eye, but he didn't try to push him off, so that was a start. He sort of just deflated against his chest and let his shoulders sag. Cas wasn't exactly great at hiding his feelings, especially since becoming human. Plus, Dean was his boyfriend, and he could read him like a book. There was obviously something on his mind. 

"Talk to me, Cas."

"It's nothing."

"No, I think it's something alright," he tilted Cas' chin up until their eyes met, then lifted an eyebrow. "You want the blind dog, don't you?"

Cas dropped his gaze again. "His name is Bullseye."

"Yeah, and you want him."

"Maybe I do, but what does it matter? Like you said: it's too much responsibility."

"But you _want_ him."

"Okay. Yes," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders for like the billionth time. "I _did_ feel an emotional bond to Bullseye, one that I haven't found with any of the other dogs here, but that doesn't mean -"

"You should have him, Cas."

"That's absurd."

"When's the last time you ever got what you really wanted?"

Cas frowned, like that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "I got _you_ , Dean."

"Right," he rubbed the back of his neck, secretly flattered that Cas considered being with him something that he 'really wanted'. "But that's different. We're together 'cause we love each other, not 'cause you _want_ me, like a pair of fricking _shoes_ or something."

"Well, a dog is not comparable to a pair of shoes either -"

"You know what I mean!" he huffed. "Now quit bellyaching and let me give you this _one_ thing!"

Cas twiddled his thumbs for a moment, studying a _fascinating_ speck of dirt on the floor, then looked up at Dean with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Do you really mean it?" he whispered.

Dean smiled and sighed at the same time. "Our family's not exactly conventional," he pointed out. "A dead woman, an ex-angel, an ex- _demon_ , and a guy with demon _blood_. I'm pretty sure we can handle a blind dog."

"But, but the responsi _bil_ ity -"

"You'll figure it out," he said, taking both of Cas' hands. "I'm gonna help you."

"But you said you weren't a pet person?"

"Well, I mean… If this is gonna be our first _child_ , I better step up. Can't have you being a single mom and all, can I?"

Cas chuckled, the crinkles around his eyes deepening in a way that made it _really_ hard not to kiss him senseless there and then. Dean might have used his sappiness sparingly, but when he _did_ , he made sure to go the whole nine yards.

"C'mon," he draped an arm around Cas' shoulders. "We've got a _butt_ load of paperwork to fill out before we can take him home."

When they told Kirsty they'd picked Bullseye, she literally pulled them both into a hug and started to cry. Apparently, the poor little guy had been dumped in an alleyway by his past owners; they probably couldn't hack the vet bills after his eyes had got infected, so they'd just tossed him out like garbage without a second thought. The shelter had managed to partially save his sight in one eye, but the other was a lost cause. They hadn't expected anyone to show an interest in him because of it, which is probably why Kirsty was so grateful. God knows what would've happened to him if they hadn't come along.

"Thank you," Cas said later on, when they were driving back to the bunker with Bullseye sitting on the front seat with them. "I know you never really wanted a dog, but this means a lot to me. It really does."

Dean reached over and squeezed Cas' knee. "Happy one year anniversary, Cas."

"Happy anniversary, Dean."

"You know, I think you picked the blind one for a reason," he gave Bullseye a onceover. He was admittedly kind of cute, but there was no way he was going to tell Cas that. "I think you've got a soft spot for the underdog. No pun intended."

Cas smiled. "Well, I suppose he inspired me in a way."

"How come?"

"He's lost something he's known all his life, and so have I. But his unwavering spirit gives me hope that I can move on someday, that I can feel normal again."  

Dean wished more than anything that he could wipe away the sadness on Cas' face for good, but for now, all he could do was take his hand and hold it. "You know, you're so much more than your grace, Cas. _So_ much more."

"Thank you, Dean," he smiled even brighter. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"How do you think Sam will react?"

"To having a dog?" Dean grinned. "Oh, he's gonna have a _field_ day."

Cas hummed, leaning his head back against the seat with a sigh. Dean could see his fingers gently combing through Bullseye's fur. He looked relaxed, more relaxed than he'd seen him in years, and he could tell in that very moment that he'd made the right decision. Cas deserved a little normalcy in his life. They _all_ did.

When Cas had finally drifted off, Dean couldn't resist patting Bullseye on the head, just to see how he'd take it. The little fur ball was pretty impressed. He butted into his hand and made this low growl in the back of his throat, his milky-coloured eyes struggling to stay open. He could sort of see the appeal in this; the softness of his fur was quite nice, and the way Bullseye whimpered happily under his touch made him feel pretty good, like he'd really done the little guy a favour by taking him home.  

"Okay," he surrendered. "You _are_ pretty cute."

In the seat next to him, Cas smiled. Maybe bonding Dean with the newest member of their family wasn't going to be that hard after all...


End file.
